Melting equipment for melting snow and ice

ABSTRACT

Melting equipment for the melting of snow and ice comprising means for heating a heat carrier medium and means for delivering the heat carrier medium to at least one snow and ice melting location for the melting of snow and ice or the like.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,847,137

Lambertoni Nov. 12, 1974 1 MELTING EQUIPMENT FOR MELTING 1.770.024 7/1930- C0315 126/2712 A SNOW AND [C 1.9561664 5/l934 Blake l26/27l.2 A 304L748 7/1962 Wetzel.... 126/2712 C Inventor: Oreste Lambertoni, Varese. Italy 3.2911 18 12/1966 Wilson 126/2712 c [73] Assignee: Pages Holding S.A., Luxembourg, 3509,87] 5/1970 Ma1lle. 126/2712 A Luxembourg Primary ExaminerWilliam F. ODea Flledl P 1973 1 Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attornev A em or FirmDiller Brown Ramik & 21 A l. N 346,810 g [52] US. Cl l26/27l.2 A 57 ABSTRACT 51] Int. Cl. E0lc 11/24, EOlh 5/10 I [58] Field Of Search 126/2712 A, 271.2 c; Meltmg equlpmem for the meltmg of Snow and Ice 432/222 comprising means for heating a heat carrier medium and means for delivering the heat carrier medium to at [56 1 References Cited least one snot v and ice rnelting location for the melting UNITED STATES PATENTS of snow and ice or the llke. 1184.546 5/1916 Lutz .l 126/2712 A 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDNM 12 1914 3847.137 SHEU 10? 2 Fig.2

MELTING EQUIPMENT FOR MELTING SNOW AND ICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of snow clearing equipment, and in particular to a melting installation or equipment for the melting of snow and ice.

The traditionally employed techniques for the removal of snow and the like from streets, walkways, railway tracks, airports, cemeteries and so forth, require considerable manual work, associated with relatively high costs and organizational problems. There have been employed different types of mechanical snow clearing equipment, but such prior art equipment which works on the principle of moving the snow out of the way, usually alongside the cleared area, is associated with the problem that the snow, which has been simply positionally shifted, constitutes. a new obstruction requiring further work for clearing thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction of melting equipment for melting snow and ice in a manner free of the aforementioned drawbacks and limitations of the heretofore proposed constructions of the prior art.

Another and more specific object of the present invention aims at overcoming the previously discussed drawbacks and to provide melting equipment which melts the snow and ice in a rapid and efficient manner, and wherein'the required manual work and the resultant costs can be reduced to a minimum.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the present invention is directed to a new and improved construction of melting equipment for the melting of snow and ice wherein there is provided means for heating a heat carrier medium and means for introducing the heat carrier medium to at least one melting location of the installatron.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a'front view of a preferred embodiment of melting equipment of this development for the melting of snow and ice;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the equipment depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the equipment viewed with respect to the direction of travel thereof;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the equipment depicted in FIG. 2, taken substantially along the line A-B thereof;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the installation depicted in FIG. 4, taken substantially along the line C-D thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the installation depicted in FIG. 4, taken substantially along the line E-F thereof;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS or tank 3 and injected into these compartments 1 and 2 along with combustion air for the fuel burners 4 and 5 respectively, which may constitute oil or gas burners,

depending upon the type of fuel employed.

A ventilator 6 sucks-up air from the surroundings and delivers such via a forward disposed compartment or so-called pre-compartment 7 and 8 respectively into an associated intermediate compartment 24 (FIG. 4) which is provided between each actual combustion compartment 1 and 2 respectively and its corresponding outer jacket or sleeve 31, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The combustion gases and hot air, the flow path of which will be further considered hereinafter, are collected by the hood members 9 and 10 and directed downwardly against a layer of snow, ice or the like which is to be melted.

The downwardly directed opening, such as opening 50 shown in FIG. 4, of each of the hood members 9 and 10 can be elevationally adjusted with regard to the ground, and specifically, by appropriately setting the handwheel 11 which, through the coaction of a threaded spindle 11a, raises the entire device together with the combustion compartments 1 and 2 about the hinged support component 12. This elevational adjustment with respect to the height of the snow or the like to be melted is necessary in order to avoid excessive heating of the ground in the event of standstill of the vehicle which advances the melting equipment or installation.

FIGS. 1 and 3 depict a suitablev coupling element 13 for coupling the snow clearing equipment to a nonillustrated traction vehicle or other appropriate propelling vehicle. In FIG. 1 there is depicted a screen or guard 14 for protecting the wheels 15a, 16a, here for instance referred to asthe front wheels, against the hot air currents. The other rear wheels 15, 16 are hingedly connected at pivot mounts 17, 18, respectively at the frame 51 in order to facilitate the steering or control of the equipment.

In FIG. 3 there is depicted an electrical switching panel or console 19 which is provided for controlling the equipment and for signalling purposes.

FIG. 4 illustrates in vertical longitudinal sectional view one of both similar combustion compartments 1. Since the construction of the combustion compartments 1 and 2 is the same the discussion of one should suffice. For the purpose of explaining the mode of operation of the equipment, there is also depicted in sectional view in FIG. 4 the ventilators 6, although this particular component in reality is located in a different plane. To fully understand the operation there has also been depicted the equipment in FIGS. 5 and 6, which constitute two cross-sectional views along the lines 0-D and E-F respectively, through the respective combustion compartments 1 and 2. Now the combustiongases emanating from, for instance, the burner 4 are transmitted from a plate member 20, mounted within combustion compartment 1, in the direction of the cylindrical inner wall in of the corresponding combustion compartment 1. The plate member 20 is coaxially retained in position with respect to this compartment 1 with the aid of the support elements 21.

A part of the hot combustion gases flow through a free ring-shaped or annular compartment 30 disposed about the plate member 20 and arrives at the front portion or section 9a of the hood member 9, at which location the gases flow downward through the exit opening 50, in the manner indicated by the arrows 22. Another part of the hot combustion gases flows through the perthe air emanating from the ventilator 6 communicating with the pre-compartment 7 this air flowing through the holes or perforations 25 and arriving at the intermediate compartment 24. This cooling air has the purpose of maintaining the temperature of the wall la of the combustion compartment 1 at a value which is not detrimental for the material from which this wall is formed.

The previously mentioned mixture of the hot combustion gases and air arrives at a rear section 912 of the hood member 9, at which location it flows downward in the direction of the arrows 26.

The respective outer sleeve 31 of each combustion compartment 1 and 2 and which sleeves for example consist of two walls arranged in spaced relationship from one another, and the correspondingly constructed hood member 9 and 10 possess an intermediate layer formed of a heat insulating material 27 of suitable thickness, in order to maintain the temperature of the outer'surfa'ce at a'value which is not dangerous to the operating personnel and to avoid thermal losses. The walls of the sleeve 31 consist of heat-resistant steel for instance. At the outlet opening 50 of each hood member 9 and 10 there is arranged a perforated plate member 28 consisting ofa material which is resistant to high temperatures. This plate member 28, which during operation of the equipment is heated-up to the temperature of the outflowing air, radiates the heat directly to the snow .or ice located therebelowQand thus accelerates the melting thereof.

A previously mentioned, the aforedescribed snow melting equipment is equipped with a suitable coupling element 13 to permit coupling thereof to a traction vehicle or otherwise, at which there are also arranged the devices for generating electrical energy for supplying the burners and ventilators. It is of course possible to construct the melting equipment with the drive means and the supply means in a single vehicle. Thus, for instance, the equipment could be provided with its own drive unit, as indicated in phantom lines by reference character 52 in FIG. 2, to provide a self-propelling unit.

The arrangement of two combustion compartments 1 and 2 has been only discussed as an exemplary embodiment. Through the use of a multiplicity of heatgenerating elements and by varying the dimensions thereof, it is possible to fulfill all practicalrequirements as concerns the width of the strip of ground or the like which is to be freed of snow and the speed with which the snow clearing operation is to proceed.

Furthermore, the sources for generating thermal and mechanical energy and required for the operation of the snow melting equipment can differ from the exemplary described energy sources. In particular, the mechanical energy required for the burners and ventilators could be generated by combustion engines, and the thermal enery could be generated with the aid of electrical or suitable nuclear reactors, and thus the units 4 and 5 could be then considered to constitute such.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:

l. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner-wall within said outer sleeve and defining there between an intermediate chamber, said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said'intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment'for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite I end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice and snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, the hood member having an outlet opening covered by a heat-resistant perforated plate.

2. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner wall within said outer sleeve and defining therebetween an intermediate chamben'said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice and snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, a plate member disposed in said combustion compartment generally at the end thereof remote from said heat producing means for reflecting gases in said combustion compartment towards said precompartment, and said inner wall having apertures therethrough adjacent said pre-compartment for directing heated gases into'said intermediate chamber.

3. The equipment as defined in claim 2, further including a ring-shaped compartment between the outer periphery of the plate member and the inner wall of the combustion compartment, a part of the combustion gases arriving via said ring-shaped compartment at the front section of the hood member and through the outlet opening thereof and flowing in the direction of the melting location.

4. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner wall within said outer sleeve and defining therebetween an intermediate chamber, said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice and snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, said hood having offset wall portions defining separate hood portions having separate flow paths for gases entering thereinto, said intermediate chamber opening into one of said hood portions with gases exiting therefrom passing along the flow path of said one hood portion, and said combustion compartment opening into the other of said hood portions with gases exiting therefrom passing along the separate flow path of said other hood portion. 

1. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner wall within said outer sleeve and defining therebetween an intermediate chamber, said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice anD snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, the hood member having an outlet opening covered by a heat-resistant perforated plate.
 2. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner wall within said outer sleeve and defining therebetween an intermediate chamber, said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice and snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, a plate member disposed in said combustion compartment generally at the end thereof remote from said heat producing means for reflecting gases in said combustion compartment towards said pre-compartment, and said inner wall having apertures therethrough adjacent said pre-compartment for directing heated gases into said intermediate chamber.
 3. The equipment as defined in claim 2, further including a ring-shaped compartment between the outer periphery of the plate member and the inner wall of the combustion compartment, a part of the combustion gases arriving via said ring-shaped compartment at the front section of the hood member and through the outlet opening thereof and flowing in the direction of the melting location.
 4. A machine for the melting of snow and ice, said machine comprising an outer sleeve, an inner wall within said outer sleeve and defining therebetween an intermediate chamber, said inner wall being generally cylindrical and defining a combustion compartment, heat producing means at one end of said combustion compartment for directing heated gases axially into said combustion compartment, a pre-compartment at said one end of said outer sleeve in communication with both said intermediate chamber and said combustion compartment for supplying air thereto to externally cool said inner wall and to be utilized within said combustion compartment, and a hood at the opposite end of said outer sleeve for directing heated gases towards ice and snow to be melted, said hood being in communication with said combustion compartment for receiving gases therefrom and with said intermediate chamber for receiving heated gases passing therethrough, said hood having offset wall portions defining separate hood portions having separate flow paths for gases entering thereinto, said intermediate chamber opening into one of said hood portions with gases exiting therefrom passing along the flow path of said one hood portion, and said combustion compartment opening into the other of said hood portions with gases exiting therefrom passing along the separate flow path of said other hood portion. 